Chapter 450: Possible Puppet

Third-person POV

Electra stayed silent for a few seconds after Irina finished explaining who Hunter Vale was, her gaze fixed ahead as though she were staring at something only she could see. Irina watched her carefully, already suspicious of that kind of silence because she knew Electra well enough to understand that when she went quiet like this, it usually meant she had already started planning something that no one else was going to like.

When Electra finally spoke, her voice was calm, almost too calm. "Can I meet him?" she asked, her tone casual, like she was asking something simple, even though the question itself wasn't simple at all.

Irina didn't even hesitate. "No."

The answer came out so quickly and so firmly that it almost cut through the air, and she shook her head immediately as if she didn't even want to entertain the idea for a second. "Absolutely not," she added, her voice even more serious now as she stepped forward slightly. "Under no circumstances am I letting you meet Hunter."

Electra's brows furrowed slightly, confusion flickering across her face as she turned to look at Irina properly. "Why not?" she asked, genuinely sounding like she didn't understand what the problem was. "He's my uncle, isn't he? Why wouldn't I meet him?"

Before Irina could answer again, Penelope spoke up, her tone softer but still cautious, like she was trying to explain things in a way that wouldn't immediately set Electra off. "Maybe because you don't exactly have the best reputation right now?" she said, glancing at Electra with a small frown. "The last thing you need is for people to start saying you're going around killing anyone who could challenge you for the throne."

Electra blinked at that for a second, then immediately rolled her eyes, the movement slow and exaggerated like she couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Who said anything about killing him?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of annoyance now as she crossed her arms. "You're all acting like I'm just going to walk up to him and burn him the moment I see him."

Roxana let out a scoff at that, clearly not convinced.

Electra ignored her and continued, her tone growing more deliberate now. "I said I want to meet him," she repeated. "That's all. I want to see him for myself, talk to him, and decide what kind of person he is."

Irina didn't look convinced in the slightest.

Electra tilted her head slightly, her gaze shifting between them as she went on, "He's the only one you've mentioned who could act as a regent, right? The only one with the Vale name besides me." She paused briefly, then added, "So instead of guessing or relying on what he is to Jella or the council, I'd rather make that decision myself."

Penelope looked like she was considering that, but Irina's expression didn't soften at all.

Electra continued, her voice steady and almost thoughtful now. "If he's going to be involved in the throne at all, then I need to know if he's someone I can actually work with… or someone I need to deal with differently."

Roxana raised a brow slightly at that phrasing, already picking up on what Electra wasn't saying directly.

"And let's be realistic," Electra added, a faint smirk forming on her lips as she leaned back slightly. "Jella's reputation is finished, completely destroyed. She admitted to killing the king in front of everyone, and not just that, she killed a servant to cover it up. No one with any sense is going to stay loyal to someone like that now."

There was a confidence in her tone, like she truly believed that part was already settled. "She's done," Electra said simply. "And anyone still following her at this point would just be stupid."

Roxana shifted her weight slightly before speaking, her tone more measured. "You're not wrong about that," she admitted. "Queen Jella's reputation is beyond saving, but that doesn't mean Hunter is suddenly safe to trust."

Electra's eyes flickered toward her.

"He could just be greedy," Roxana continued, her gaze steady. "Even if he's not under Jella's control anymore, that doesn't mean he won't try to stay on the throne if you give it to him. Power like that changes people, or maybe it just shows who they already are."

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, no one spoke.

Then Electra's smirk deepened slightly.

"That's exactly why I want to meet him," she said, her voice quieter now but more certain. "I don't want to guess. I don't want to rely on what any of you think or what the council thinks or what Jella wanted. I want to see him myself and decide if he's someone I can control… or someone I can remove."

Penelope's eyes widened slightly at that, while Irina's expression hardened immediately.

Electra didn't stop.

"There are too many things I don't know right now," she added, her tone losing some of its earlier edge and becoming more serious again. "About my past, about my family, about everything that's been happening around me, and from what you've told me, Hunter is the only person who could actually take that position as regent."

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze focused now. "So yes," she said, her voice firm, "I'm going to take that risk."

Irina let out a slow breath, clearly not happy with what she was hearing. "And what exactly do you plan to do when you meet him?" she asked, her tone sharp again. "Because I know you well enough to know you're not just going to sit there and have a polite conversation."

Electra blinked once, then suddenly pulled a mock offended expression, placing a hand lightly against her chest as if she had just been insulted. "Irina," she said, her tone dripping with fake disbelief, "what exactly do you take me for?"

Roxana snorted quietly at that, while Penelope looked like she was trying not to react. Electra held the expression for a moment longer before letting it drop, her lips curling into a small, almost playful smile.

"I'm not going to hurt him," she said, her voice light now, though there was something in her eyes that didn't fully match her tone. "Why would I do that?"

Irina didn't look convinced.

Electra tilted her head slightly, her gaze steady. "I just want to talk," she added.

There was a brief pause. Then, almost as an afterthought, she shrugged lightly and said, "Maybe scare him a little."

Roxana let out a laugh at that, shaking her head, while Penelope sighed softly like she had expected nothing less.

Irina, however, didn't smile. She just stared at Electra for a moment longer, clearly trying to decide whether to argue further or accept that this was already a decision Electra had made, and judging by the look on Electra's face, it was clear that she wasn't going to back down.